Protecting the workforce during a crisis is vital in helping restore economies and mitigating the extent of the social, emotional and financial consequences. Managers have a crucial role in helping employees transition back to work.
Below are some suggestions that managers might consider to help employees navigate the pandemic and be ready to return to work.
- Demonstrate that you understand that your employees have been affected by the crisis by communicating that to them. Acknowledging and validating the team’s concerns will go a long way towards helping to limit the impact the crisis will have on their work performance and mental health.
- It is important that employees feel that the company cares about them, this can be quite stabilizing during a crisis.
- Spend time trying to understand employees’ concerns and demonstrate that you care and be realistic about what you can and can’t do to address their concerns.
- Be tolerant of a wide range of individual responses among employees.
- Be transparent and share any relevant information that you have with employees and provide updates when new information becomes available or the situation changes. Best practice is to communicate that you will provide updated information at routine times during the day.
- Get your employee assistance programe (EAP) involved as soon as possible. Your EAP can provide advice and guidance to managers/supervisors about how to work with employees during the crisis. The EAP will also be able to provide ongoing support for managers and employees after the crisis is over.
- The “flocking effect” or the need to talk with others in the same affected group became evident as a basic human need for healing after the events of 9/11. Your EAP can facilitate group discussions about the impact of the crisis as well as provide individual counselling for those who feel they need more support.
- Support care-giving within workgroups. Keep the workgroups together as much as possible, and try to not isolate employees from their normal support groups at work. Structure and consistency at this time is important.
- Getting back to work can be reassuring, and the structure, consistency and predictability of the familiar (work) can go a long way to assist in helping employees re-establish as sense of safety.
We assist companies support employees through our various EAP offerings as well as in short bite-sized seminars and webinars. Do reach out if you would like support in helping your organization thrive during this challenging time.
Cheryl Warsama, Counseling Psychologist, Vivamus.